Son of Percy
by Rose131313
Summary: When his parents go missing, Grey Jackson is asked to do the unthinkable: To join the hunters of Artemis. Using his new power and skill, he goes on a quest with new friends to find his parents and stop a new threat to the world. Will Grey survive? Will Mrs. O'Leary get her hamburger meat? Only the Fates know.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

Ten year old "Grey" Jackson waved to his parents from the window of their New York apartment, watching a young adult pair of Annabeth and Percy walking towards their car. His parents had gotten an emergency Iris message from Jason, saying he needed their help with something. Grey knew all about the world his parents came from. The giant black dog that came by every once in a while was a dead giveaway, for starters. His parents never tried to hide anything from him, which was terrifying sometimes.

"Okay Nemo," his babysitter said. Sally Jackson had been called in for support to watch Grey, who cringed when he heard his real name. Annabeth and Percy had made a bet on a football game to see who would name their kid. Grey didn't need to be told who won the bet. "Time for bed." She patted his jet black hair, which almost fell into his grey eyes.

"Fine," Grey grumbled. He trudged into his bedroom and put on his owl covered pajamas. Sometimes he worried whether his parents were a bit too obsessed with their godly parents attributes. Sally Jackson wished him goodnight, then flicked off his light. As soon as Grey followed asleep, he was woken back up again by a strange noise coming from the living room. Padding his way towards the living room, he saw his grandmother sitting at the table, phone in hand, eyes dripping tears. The strange noise Grey had heard must have been her sobbing.

"Grandma? What's wrong?" he asked, grabbing her hand. Sally wiped her eyes, but immediately fresh tears filled in. "Are mom and dad okay? Grandma, you're scaring me."

"Chiron called," Sally said, her voice quivering. "Mortals found your parents car, abandoned on the side of the road. He sent his best trackers out, but they lost the trail. Grey, I'm so sorry." Sally tried to hug him, but Grey stumbled backwards. Her words had been like punches to his gut. He felt like the room was spinning, and that he was about to be sick. Grey didn't know what to do. Cry? Throw up? Break something? He decided to run, straight out the window and onto the fire escape. There he breaks down, crying. How could his parents be gone? They had been so close to death, but they had always escaped. His parents were part god, they were the strongest people he knew.

A humming sound caught Grey's attention. He wasn't alone on the fire escape. Sitting on the stairs leading upwards, was a girl, a few years older than him. She had red hair held back by a silver circlet with a moon on it. She was wearing a glimmering winter jacket with matching boots.

"Who are you?" Grey asked, wiping his tears. He probably should have ran away, yelling for his grandma, but this girl didn't seem like she wanted to hurt him.

"Hello Nemo Beckendorf Jackson. Although from what I hear you prefer the name Grey. Can't say I blame you," the girl said, ignoring his question. "Your parents aren't dead, but they are missing, even from the eyes of a god."

"Who are you, and how do you know about my parents?" Grey asked again. He balled up his fists and gave the girl the meanest look he could.

"You have spirit Grey. I'm surprised you haven't figured out who I am yet, given who your mother is. Then again, Perseus Jackson is your father. Whatever the case, I am Artemis, goddess of the hunt." Grey just stared at the goddess, unsurprised. This wasn't the first god he had ever met, and he wasn't about to bow down and pray. He was defiant too, something his mom said he got from his dad.

"So what? You said you can't see them. What good are you?" Artemis sighed.

"You could come with me. I've been watching you, and you have the potential to be a great hunter."

"I know all about you and your huntresses. You only let girls hunt with you. Why would you take me?" Grey asked. His bed time stories had been his parent's quests, so he had heard about their experience with the goddess. He had even met Thalia, who still looked like a teenager, even though she should have been older than his parents.

"That is not completely true. I once did invite a man to join my hunt. It ended, badly, but I owe your father a great debt. It won't be forever either. If you were a full hunter, I would be stealing you from your parents, which I cannot do with a clean conscious. Hunt with me for a few years, and when you're old enough, and strong enough, you may be the only one who can find your parents. What do you say Grey? Will you join me?" Artemis held out her hand, which was heavily calloused. Grey hesitated taking it, which the goddess must have seen. "Go talk to your grandmother. Tell her what I just told you. If she counsels you against joining me, I will leave. If she agrees with me, though, I trust you will make the right decision." Figuring that his grandma, the same woman who made him blue food whenever he wanted, would know what to do, he ducked back inside the apartment.

"Um, grandma?" He told her about what Artemis had said. Sally sat in her chair, still holding the phone, listening to her small, grey eyed grandson. When he finished his story, the woman sat in her chair, staring out the window he had come in through. Finally, she put the phone down.

"I think you should go," Sally said.

"What do you mean?!" Grey cried out. "I'm ten years old. How do you, how does she, expect me to be a hunter?"

"Your mother ran away from home when she was younger than you, and survived. Your father went on his first quest to the underworld when he was just a couple years older," Sally said, holding Grey by his shoulders. "Do you know what your parents were talking about just before they left? They were thinking about sending you to one of the Camps." Grey hadn't known about that. His dad had always said that they would send him off when they thought he was ready. Grey had always thought that would be when he was at least fourteen. His mom had only just begun to show him the basics of knife fighting. "Grey, Go. I won't give up looking for your parents, my son. But you need this. They need this." He was about to debate more, but he knew she was right. "It's not polite to keep a goddess waiting Grey," Sally said, kissing her grandson's forehead.

"Don't forget to feed Mrs. O'Leary. She only likes raw hamburger meat, not cooked," Grey said. His grandmother smiled and waved as he stepped through the window. The goddess was still there, waiting for him. "Alright. I'll go, but on one condition. When the time comes, I get to leave and find my parents." Artemis smiled.

"It's a deal, Grey Jackson." She snapped her fingers and his pajamas changed into an outfit similar to hers, but instead of silver, his jacket and boots where the same shade of grey as his eyes. "Welcome to the hunt.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

At first the hunters of Artemis, who were camped out in Central Park, were reluctant to accept Grey among their ranks. Many of them believed that he would become another Orion. It was Thalia who stepped in and supported the goddess's choice.

"This kid here is basically my nephew. If training him will help bring back Percy and Annabeth Jackson, then I'm going to do it. He's ten years old, not a man, so it's not like we're breaking any vows being around him. Besides, Lady Artemis already declared that he was to join us, so it doesn't really matter what any of you think. Grey here is one of us, and the son of Percy. I have a feeling he's going to be one hell of a hunter," the daughter of Zeus had said to the assembled girls. Luckily for Grey, the hunters all seemed to respect Thalia, and he was accepted into their ranks, at least until it was time for him to move on.

Before anything else, Grey needed training. Because the hunters moved around so often, physical training wasn't a problem. At the end of the day, he would go to bed in his tent exhausted from running and jumping over harsh terrain. (Very rarely did the hunters leave the wilderness). He never fell behind though. Maybe it was the blessing of the goddess that kept him going, no matter how tired he was. The more time he spent with the hunters, the more his body seemed to glow, just like theirs. Another thing that strengthened him was the food. At night, there were feasts of fresh meat and vegetation that had been hunted and gathered as they went, all of which filled Grey up to the brim, both his stomach and energy reserves.

Beyond physical training, Grey had to learn how to use weapons as well. He was constantly practicing with his weapons. The night he first joined the hunters, the goddess Artemis had given him a silver pocket knife with two attachments. At first he had been skeptical. How was he supposed to hunt monsters with a pocket knife? Artemis had smiled before she explained how the knife worked to him.

"That is a very special knife. It once belonged to Orion, before he was disgraced. I gave it to him as a gift. You will never lose it, and it will never fail you. I believe your father has a similar weapon, once wielded by Hercules. It seems only fitting that you should wield this knife now. Go ahead, try it out." Sam pulled out the first attachment, a small knife blade. Immediately, the knife grew in size and weight in his hand, until it was a short white horse bow. Instinctively, Grey drew back on the string as far as his short ten year old arms would allow. An arrow made of silvery light appeared when the bow was pulled as far as he could. When he eased the string back into its normal position, the arrow faded away. "It may seem big now, but you'll grow into that bow soon enough. Those arrows are pure light, meaning it can be fired during the day or night. Anywhere that there is no light, however, the arrows will be weaker, and will do less damage. They are deadly to monsters and demigods. Now, picture the weapon back in its knife form, and try the other attachment." Concentrating on the knife before it had changed, Grey soon found himself holding the silver pocket knife once again. Doing as the goddess told, he pulled out the second attachment, a saw blade. The knife began to grow again, but longer this time, until it had completely changed into a sleek, silver spear with a long leaf shaped tip. The entire spear was made of some strange metal, that felt perfect in his hands, not too heavy, not too light, and perfectly balanced for throwing. "This spear is made of Sage Silver. It was carved from a very special tree that only grows on a small island in the most dangerous parts of the Sea of Monsters. The tree itself is living silver, and can only be cut by a god. Like Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold, it's deadly to monsters and demigods. Even gods and titans can be severely wounded with this spear. A hunter is only as good as their tools, and when Orion was disgraced, so was this. I entrust this weapon to you so that you may held it regain its lost honor." Grey carefully held the spear in his hands. In his head, he made a silent vow that he would use it to become more powerful so that he can save his family. Almost as if she had read his thoughts, Artemis smiled, and his body seemed to glow just a little brighter.

"Thank you, my lady," he said, pocketing the knife. At first he spent most of his time with Thalia, for a couple of reasons. She was one of the best hunters, so Grey figured that he could learn from her. Another reason was that many of the other hunters still did not take kindly to having a male around them, despite Thalia's instance on Grey not actually being a man. He did not mind too much though. Grey had never had many friends growing up, mostly just the kids of other demigods, of which there were many few, because many half-bloods never make it to adult hood. Even those kids were never around for long. On hunts, Grey went alone, preferring the solitude. At meals, when the other hunters were crowded around large fires, telling stories and singing songs in their silver clothes, Grey sat away from the others, his grey jacket hiding him in the shadows.

As time went on, however, the other hunters began warming up to him. It all started about 2 months into his time with the hunters, when one girl, Nadia, crept up on Grey during dinner one night, something that was hard to do. She had red hair, almost as bright as the goddess. She looked about 15 years old, but Grey knew better than to trust looks when trying to figure out a hunter's age. She could be thousands of years old for all he knew. He thought at first that she had been trying to move past him, but when he tried to walk away, she stopped him.

"Why don't you ever sit with the rest of us?" she had asked. Grey didn't say anything, just took another bite from his leg of venison. "You don't talk much, do you?" He shrugged. "I know you feel like you don't belong, but if Lady Artemis and Thalia say you do, then you're one of us." For days, Grey still sat alone, not talking to Nadia, but that didn't stop the girl from blabbering on to him. No matter how hard he tried not to, Grey couldn't help but enjoy her company. It turned out that she wasn't thousands of years old, just a few hundred. The goddess Diana had picked her up in France, where Camp Jupiter had been located back then when the center of Western culture had been England, the location of Camp Half Blood. She was a daughter of Vestia, and had been on the verge of death during a conflict with Camp Half Blood, also known as the Hundred Years War. Back then, the goddess had two groups of hunters, Roman and Greek, but now that the two groups had reconciled, they were one. Other girls began joining him too. Eventually, they got him to join the rest of the hunters at dinner, though Grey still found he preferred hunting along.

Grey actually began to enjoy himself with the hunters, and no matter how much he missed his old family, he began to feel like he had a new one too.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

"Looks like we're close," Thalia said, kneeling by the large footprint in the mud. "The track is still fresh." Grey and Elizabeth looked around, searching for their prey. Today, Thalia had insisted that Grey accompany her and Elizabeth on a hunt. By now, he was about 14 years old, though to him it didn't feel like 4 whole years had passed. He had grown significantly taller, finally matching Elizabeth in height. Grey had also put on a lot of muscle, losing his gangly, child-like figure. Currently, the hunters where in northern Mexico, near the border of the US. There was a monster there that Thalia wanted to take care of, because it had been attacking the mortal flocks.

"There's a cave up ahead. I bet whatever it is we're hunting is in there," Elizabeth said, wiping her brow. It was summer time, and in Mexico, that meant heat, and lots of it. Instead of their usual winter jackets, the hunter's had on black tank tops, which were stuck to their backs with sweat. Grey had tied his hair back into a short pony tail to keep it out of his eyes. He pulled his knife out of his pocket, and thought about his bow, which appeared in his hand. After using it for so long, Grey had realized that he didn't even need to pull out one of the attachments to summon a weapon.

"Okay. Nadia and I will sit on either side of the cave. Grey, you sit up top. We'll lure the thing out, then you jump down behind it. Once we've got it flanked, it's easy. Ready?" Thalia asked, her voice hushed. Grey and Nadia nodded. "Happy hunting." They snuck towards the direction that Nadia pointed out, and sure enough, there was a cave, a very, very large cave. Grey swung wide, climbing up the side of a hill so whatever was inside wouldn't sense him. Creeping towards the tip of the cave, Grey looked down and saw the other hunters. He waved to them, letting the girls know he was in position. When Thalia saw this, she shot an arrow inside. Grey was confused. This wasn't how you drew something out of a cave.

"Hey you! I know you're in there? Remember me?" Thalia called out. Nadia gave Grey a concerned look. She knew Thalia was acting weird too. "Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, is here to send you back to Tartarus!" The cave began to rumble. Grey drew his bow. Whatever was in that cave was big. Then an ear shattering roar came out, followed by large footsteps. Grey held his breath, waiting for the monster to come out. The footsteps grew closer, until they passed underneath Grey, and the monster stepped out. It was a large, bald humanoid. Obviously it was some sort of giant, but Grey had seen Thalia hunt dozens of giants, but never like this. And what did she mean by remember?

"Aw, yeah. I remember you. You were the one with that little blonde girl and the teenager guy. I thought you were dead?" the monster bellowed. Grey knew then what Thalia had been hunting. It was the Cyclops that had gotten her killed. His mom had told him the story years ago. The monster sniffed the air, then turned around, staring right at him with its one giant eye. "That blonde brat, I smell her on you, boy," the Cyclops said. Grey loosed his arrow but it missed. The silvery projectile hit a tree, then vanished. The monsters claim had rattled him.

The cyclops roared again, then punched the side of the cave. Cracks appeared in the rocks, and Grey could feel the integrity of the entire cave failing. He jumped down, then rolled towards Nadia, narrowly missing a kick by the cyclops. Boulders came crashing down, kicking up dirt. Arrows from Thalia and Nadia shot towards the monster, but he turned his back. The thick leather jerkin he wore stopped the arrows from dealing any real damage.

"Shit, this is bad," Nadia said, pulling Grey to his feet. Grey pulled back his bow, and shot an arrow into the cyclops calf, that was bare and unprotected. It sunk in deep, then faded away.

"Grey! Nadia! Get out of here! He's too strong. Get the rest of the hunters. I'll distra-" Thalia was cut off when the cyclops swept her away with his arm. The daughter of Zeus collided with a boulder, then fell to the ground in a heap.

"No!" Nadia yelled. Grey switched from his bow to his spear, the silvery weapon flashing in the sun.

"Go!" Grey said, hefting the spear. "I'll get her. We need back up." Nadia tried to protest, but he gave her a dark glare. She his superior by many years, but she didn't say anything. Grey had quickly become one of the strongest and most skilled hunters, despite his age. He had earned the respect of the others, so Nadia trusted him. She turned and bolted towards the camp. Grey launched his spear at the cyclops, who had turned to look at Thalia. The spear went straight threw the leather, drawing blood.

"Aww!" the cyclops yelled, reaching behind him to remove the painful new addition to his back. Grey ran forward and leapt up, grasping his spear. Planting his feet on the cyclop's shoulder, Grey ripped his weapon from the cyclops' back. Nimbly spinning around, he planted the butt of his spear in the monster's neck and used it to push off towards Thalia. "You little brat. I'll kill both of you, and this time I'm going to finish the job." Grey lunged forward, stabbing down into the cyclop's foot. Bellowing, the monster fell backwards, taking the spear with him. Before Grey could draw his knife of get Thalias bow and arrows, a rock struck him in the forehead. The cyclops must have hurled one of the pieces of the broken cave at him. Black dots danced in his vision, making it hard to see. Already he could feel himself losing consciousness. Grey fell to his knees. "Not so tough now, are you? You're just a mutt, a lousy joke of a godly descendent. You have no power," the cyclops mocked.

It was true. Grey couldn't control water like his dad, and he didn't have nearly the brain power his mom did. He had never really given it much thought, but right now, having powers would be really useful. He and Thalia were about to die, and he wouldn't be able to save his parents. 'The goddess will be so disappointed in me,' Grey thought. Instead of being scared, though, Grey was mad. 'No. I'm not breaking my vow. I'm going to live! I will rescue my family!' He didn't exactly know what he would do, but Grey raised his hands towards the cyclops who was stalking towards him, the spear still lodged in his foot. The boulders from the broken cave began to shake, the smaller ones even raising off the ground. Yelling at the top of his lungs, Grey felt a tug in his gut. Before the monster knew what happened, all the rocks and debris shot towards him, burying the cyclops under a small mountain of stone and dirt.

Before he could process what he had done, Grey passed out, his head landing next to Thalia's dirty boot.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Grey woke up in hunter's medical tent surrounded by healers. His head was foggy, and his eyes had trouble getting everything into focus. He tried to sit up, but one of the medics held him down.

"Easy there now. You're still weak, Grey. When we found you, you had two broken ribs and a very bad cut on your head. No doubt you still have a serious concussion," she said. He'd experienced worse.

"Thalia-" he croaked. "Is she okay?"

"Thanks to you. Yes. She's going to be just fine. Now you need to rest." Grey heard the sound of a tent flap opening. The girl he had been talking to stood up. "Lady Artemis! You're back. There was an accident and-"

"I know," the goddess said. Grey, despite what the medic had told him before, sat up. Artemis was standing next to his bed. She snapped her fingers, and immediately Grey felt better. He checked his pocket, and was relieved to find his knife there like it always was. At the other end of the tent, there was a commotion. Thalia had gotten up as well. She unwrapped the bandage that had been wrapped around her head.

"Thank you my Lady," Thalia said, flexing her arms.

"Do not thank me," the goddess insisted. "Thank Grey here. If not for him, even I wouldn't have been able to heal what that cyclops would have done to you." Up until now, he could only remember fragments of what happened, but Artemis must have healed his brain too, because it all came back to him.

"What happened?" Grey asked. "I was about to pass out, then all those rocks buried the cyclops. Was that you?" Artemis chuckled, and sat on the side of his bed.

"Did you not hear me, Grey? It was you that killed the monster."

"But how?"

"It appears that your, well, unique circumstance has granted you a very special power." Grey had no idea what she was talking about. "The moon and the ocean have a very special relationship. The gravitation of the moon, in part, is responsible for the tides. My influence and blessing, combined with your paternal grandfather's place as the sea god, has given you the ability to shift gravity." Grey was very confused now.

"Okay, if what you're saying is true, which I'm not saying it is, why haven't I been able to do this before?" he asked. Thalia walked over to his bed and stood behind the goddess.

"Sometimes our powers only manifest themselves when we really need them," the daughter of Zeus said. "The first time I summoned lightening, I was about to get eaten by a sphinx."

"But gravity?! That's ridiculous. It can't be true!"

"Are you calling me a liar, Grey?" Artemis asked. Grey then remembered that he was talking to a goddess who could smite him with a flick of her wrist.

"No. Forgive me. I'm just, shocked, I guess." Again Artemis laughed.

"It's okay. I'm sure this must be hard for you to accept. But I think you should take it for what it is. A gift. Use this power to grow stronger. You know what I mean." He did. She meant that he would need it to find his parents. Grey just nodded. Artemis smiled, then stood up. "Good. Now, I must go to Olympus. Neptune wishes to speak to me, no doubt about you." Her entire body shimmered, then came back into focus. The goddess looked a few years older now. This was her as Diana, the Roman form of Artemis. The hunters present all bowed, then the goddess was gone.

Seeing that he was perfectly healthy, Grey was discharged from the medical tent. As he walked to his tent, he could feel eyes staring at him. There were very few secrets among the hunters, so it didn't surprise Grey that people were whispering and discreetly pointing fingers at him. Grey just accepted that there was one more thing to make him different, and ignored everyone.

He kicked a rock with his boot, sending it flying. Watching the rock bounce through the dirt, it gave Grey an idea. Picking up the stone, he inspected it. It was no wider than a drachma, smooth and dark grey, just like his jacket and eyes. Carrying it with him to his tent, Grey sat down on his sleeping mat, and concentrated on the rock. His gut tightened, and a bead of sweat ran down his face. The rock turned in his hand, raised up a few centimeters, then fell back to his palm. Grey felt exhausted, just from that simple act. But now that he knew he could do it, Grey was confident.

"One day I'm going to move mountains," he vowed.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

Three more years passed with hardly a problem. The hunters travelled all over the world, hunting monsters and helping people. Grey kept growing stronger, both physically and with his new power. Every day he practiced, moving stones, objects, even himself. He found making the gravity around himself lighter made movement easier and faster, as if he were on the moon. Making gravity towards an object heavier was also a deadly trick, making it almost impossible for projectiles to miss. He spent hours coming up with new ways to hunt.

One day, the hunters had made their camp somewhere in northern Europe, and Grey had found a hot spring. He had snuck away from the camp and jumped in, letting the warm water soothe his aches and pains. Rarely did he allow himself to relax, to stop focusing all his senses on everything around himself, but he felt now was a safe enough opportunity. Just when Grey felt like he was actually enjoying himself, he heard a twig snap, and girls giggling. He bolted out of the hot spring and put his pants on, not even worrying about his wet boxers.

"Nadia? Thalia? Is that you?" he called out, trying to see who it was. The trees around him began shift, and three girls stepped out, all with slightly green or unnaturally brown skin. Nymphs. Grey had never liked nymphs very much, all except the few that had choosen to become hunters. They were too jumpy for his liking. "What do you want?" he asked. The nymphs giggled some more.

"You're a hunk," one said with some sort of accent. German maybe? Grey couldn't tell.

"A hunk of what?" Grey asked. He didn't like the way the nymphs were staring at him. It reminded him of the way Thalia stared at a piece of meat dripping with fat, the eyes of a predator.

"How adorable," another said. She stepped towards Grey and ran her hand across his chest. "What are you doing all alone out here? What are you? A godling? A half-blood?"

"I'm a hunter of Artemis. Now get back! I don't want to hurt you," Grey said, pulling out his knife. He knew from experience he could flatten every tree nearby if he had too.

"You must be him! The man who travels with the hunters! Too bad. I doubt that spear your holding is compensating. Come on girls. We wouldn't want to piss off Lady Artemis. You know how she gets." The nymphs all disappeared back into their trees, but not before one of them blew him a kiss. Still confused about what had just happened, Grey grabbed the rest of his clothes and bolted back to camp.

Since the nymphs had directly named Lady Artemis, he figured that he should consult her about what they had meant. If they had a problem with his Lady, she should know about it. He waited outside her tent, which appeared in the camp when she was in the mortal realm, waiting for her to summon him inside. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.

"Come in, Grey," the goddess said. Stepping inside, Grey saw that he and Artemis were not alone. Thalia was sharpening her knife on a grindstone, glancing at Grey as he came in.

"What's up man?" Thalia greeted him. "Why is your hair wet?" Ignoring her, Grey went straight for the goddess, who was sitting on a tripod, fingering a silver lyre.

"My Lady, I had a strange encounter with some nymphs, and I thought you should know," Grey said. This caught the goddess' attention. She set down her instrument and looked at Grey, waiting for him to continue. "I was not sure if they were a threat or not. They started getting close to me, but when I told them I served you, they backed off. I think they might have been trying to eat a hunk of me, though that seems unlikely because they're trees. I'm not sure what to make of this." Thalia stopped grinding away at her knife.

"Eat a hunk of you? Do you mean chunk?" she asked. Grey shook his head.

"They said hunk. I think their exact word were 'You're a hunk.'" Thalia started laughing, dropping her knife. A quick glance from the goddess shut her up, though she still seemed to be trying very hard not to have another outburst. "Did I say something funny my Lady?" The goddess sighed.

"I'm sorry Grey, but I'm afraid our time together is at an end." He had no idea what she was talking about. "You've grown into a fine young man. You're brave, strong, cunning, a little dim witted, but overall a wonderful person. That is exactly the problem though. You know the oaths my hunters take. Eternal maidenhood and swearing off the company of men. This man you have become, it threatens to lead my hunters astray."

"Those nymphs today were flirting with you dude," Thalia explained. "You know, flirting? Trying to get a piece?" Again Artemis glared at her lieutenant.

"My lady, you said I would hunt with you until I'm ready to find my parents," Grey said, remembering the promise she had made years ago.

"I did. And that time has come. Even though our time together was short compared to that of most other hunters, you have become one of the most capable. You will find your parents, I know of it. While you were training, the rest of the world has not forgotten the heroes of Olympus. It is time for you to rejoin them, and finish what I have started." Grey knew that the goddess spoke true, no matter how much it hurt. The hunters had been his family, and now he had to leave them. Thalia put a hand on his shoulder, though she had to reach up a bit. Grey had surpassed her in height long ago.

"Okay. I'll do it. I will find my parents. I won't break the vow I made 7 years ago on that knife," Grey declared. The goddess gave him a sad smile.

"Good. I have two final gifts to give you. They are both waiting outside. Come." Grey and Thalia followed the goddess out of the tent. The goddess waved her hand, and a white flower with six thin petals popped out of the ground. "This is an asphodel, my sacred plant. Crush it between your fingers, and my hounds, the seven dogs given to me by the god Pan will appear at your side." She handed the flower to Grey, who held it gingerly. He had seen the goddess' dogs, and they were a fearsome pack, capable of taking down the fiercest of monsters. Grey stuffed that flower into his pocket. "And my final gift to you, is a ride." Artemis' bow appeared in her hand, along with an arrow. She aimed straight towards the sky, and fired. The arrow was soon lost to sight. "Say your goodbye's quickly. He'll be here soon."

All of the hunters had gathered by then, seeing that something important was happening. Thalia, Nadia, and many others came to him, embracing him and wishing him luck. Soon, the air around them began getting hotter, and the sun grew brighter.

"Shield your eyes!" Thalia called out. Grey did as he was told, until the light died down from eye burning to just blinding. In the middle of the camp was a gold Ferrari, and in the driver's seat a god who was unmistakable.

"Hey sis!" Apollo said, jumping out of the car. "I got your message. Did you have to be so careless?" Sticking out of the left rear tire of the car was the arrow Artemis had fired.

"Brother, I need you to take Grey Jackson to Camp Half Blood," Artemis said, narrowly avoiding a hug from her brother. "It's time for him to rescue his family." Apollo looked past Artemis and at Grey.

"Grey Jackson, what's up man? I heard a lot about you. I've also seen a lot. Nice Jedi powers dude. Is it true your real name is Nemo?" Thalia snickered next to Grey, who just glared at the god. "Okay man, cool. Strong silent type. I can respect it. Hey Thalia," Apollo said, waving at the daughter of Zeus.

"Brother please. We don't have time for this," Artemis insisted.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. Hop on in kid. One way trip to coolsville." Apollo strolled back to his car, winking at hunters the whole way. Grey saw Nadia's hand twitch towards her bow, and he smiled. The hunters would be okay without him. Waving goodbye to his friends one last time, Grey slipped into the passenger seat of the car. As he and the sun god lifted off the ground, Artemis called out to him.

"Go Grey Jackson. Become the hero you were born to be!" The hunters all cheered, waving their weapons in the air. Grey waved back, both happy and sad.

"Okay kid. Let's get you home," Apollo said, before slamming his foot on the gas pedal.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

Grey was not having a good time. The temperature in the sun Ferrari was blazing hot. The hunters mostly stayed in chilly climates, where the hunting was best. Second the god had the radio blasting. The music itself was good, but it was ungodly loud.

"Muse FM kid! Best radio station around!" Apollo had called out over the noise. That was the third thing that made the trip unbearable. The god kept trying to talk to him. "So, what's it like being one of two guys allowed to hunt with my sister?" Grey was silent. "Any of the hunters ever try to get freaky with you?" This elicited a response from Grey, even if it was only a death glare. "Come on man. It's a six hour ride from here to New York. Might as well pass the time talking dude." Grey just sighed. "Dud, I get it. Haven't seen another guy in what? Seven years? Most guys would have killed to be in your position."

"Surrounded by maidens for life?" Grey scoffed. Apollo laughed.

"He speaks! And has a sense of humor!" Apollo clapped his hands, and the wheel of the sun chariot spun wildly. Grey reached over and grabbed the wheel, trying to steady the vehicle. Finally, Apollo grabbed the wheel again, allowing Grey to relax. "Seriously man, what's it like travelling with the hunters? My sis doesn't even let me chill with them. I'm an awesome hunter!" Grey spent a few hours talking to Apollo about his time with the hunters. He described his friends and some of their best hunts. Apollo asked him questions too, or told him one his own, many, many stories.

Soon, Apollo let out a loud whoop. In the distance, Grey could see a coastline, peaking out over the horizon.

"There's New York. Next stop, Camp Half Blood!" the god cheered, flooring the car. Grey just stared out the window, watching a group of hippocampi splashing around in the water. Apollo must have seen his pouting face. "You know, being the god of prophecy gives me some insight into the future. Comes in handy, especially when watching out for my kids. Like my daughters, it's nice being able to get a sneak peek at what their husbands will be like." Grey had no idea what the god was talking about, and didn't really care. "Of course, hanging out with them in person is always more fun." The hippocampi ducked under the water as the sun Ferrari soared over the water, steam in its wake. "It was a lot of fun getting to hang out with you Grey, even if you are cold, rude, completely unsociable, and have a horrible taste in poetry. Have fun at Camp Half Blood, and good luck finding your parents." The sun chariot rolled onto the beach. From over a hill, Greek and Roman warriors rushed towards them, weapons drawn. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the golden car. "Hello campers! Meet your new friend Nemo- I mean Grey Jackson!" A centaur galloped over towards the chariot. Grey knew who it was. Chiron, his parent's trainer and mentor.

"Apollo, my lord," the centaur said, bowing deeply. "You mean to say that this is their son? How? I thought he was missing as well?"

"Did my sis not tell anybody down here? The whole of Olympus is talking about this kid!" Grey didn't know about that. "Yeah. This is Seaweed brain's kid, although he's kinda grumpy. Well, I'll leave him in your hands Chiron. I'm going to swing by my Oracles place and the cabin, then I'm off! Later Grey. It was really fun getting to chill with you!" Apollo said as he walked over the hill. Chiron just scratched his head.

"Why is he always so relaxed about everything?" Chiron asked to the sky, which rumbled. Then he straightened himself up and approached Grey, who had stepped out of the car. The winter air coming off the water forced him to put his hunter jacket back on, which Chiron took an immediate interest in. "Um, is that a hunter's jacket? As in a hunter of Artemis?" The centaur sounded nervous. Grey nodded. A wave of whispers swept through the campers, many of whom had sheathed their weapons. "Well Mr. Jackson, it seems we have a lot to talk about. If you don't mind, please follow me."

Chiron led Grey to a large building, appropriately named the Big House. Other campers followed them, trying not appear as though they were. When Chiron opened the door, beckoning Grey inside, the centaur gave a dirty look to the campers, scaring many of them off. Grey took a seat at what looked like a ping pong table. Chiron stood at the other side and looked at him for a few minutes. Finally, the centaur spoke.

"So, where did you get those boots and jacket?" he asked.

"Lady Artemis gave them to me when she asked me to join her hunt." This answer seemed to confuse Chiron even more.

"But how? Why? You're a man… right?"

"Yes I'm a man," Grey spat. "See my jacket? It's grey, not silver. I wasn't a full member. I'm not immortal. Lady Artemis sent me away. I don't know why, something about me being too old. At least now I can search for my parents. Do you have any leads?"

"Woah, woah. Slow down please Grey. We still have a lot to talk about. Please, just give me a few days to understand things. I need to make a few Iris messages and consult with people. Once I have a better idea about what's going on, then I can help more."

"I need to find my parents!" The table collapsed, though neither of them were touching it. Grey's powers were reacting to his anger. This seemed to startle Chiron, but the centaur's gaze grew softer.

"We all do. Three days. Give me three days, then you can leave. Is that acceptable?" Chiron pleaded. Figuring it was the best offer he'd get, Grey nodded. Chiron sighed in relief. "Well, seeing as you're a hunter, perhaps it's appropriate for you to stay in Artemis' Cabin. You'll be alone, so if that bothers you I'm sure the Athena Cabin would-"

"Alone is fine," Grey said, cutting him off.

"Okay. Now, one last thing. How skilled in combat are you? Do you have any strange powers? I have no idea what you're capable of. Being the head of this camp, its best for me to know each of my campers and their capabilities." Grey grinned, a very rare occurrence.

"You have no idea."


End file.
